Searching for the best teleprompter to present your videos? Whether you're filming corporate videos, shooting a vlog for YouTube or giving an online presentation, this guide will help you choose the right one for you – and show you where to buy it at the right price.
Maintaining eye contact with the audience, by looking directly into your camera lens, is the key to presenting like a pro. However, if you're reciting a script or referring to notes, your audience will quickly spot your eyes darting off the screen. Thankfully, this is where the best teleprompters can save the day.
These devices display your script as scrolling text (think the opening crawl from the Star Wars movies, but without the epic music!) that's reflected on a special sheet of glass in front of your camera – which enables you to read the text while looking straight at the lens.
The glass is constructed in a way that splits the light in two (known as a beam splitter), so while you can see the words they're invisible to your camera and thus don't appear on the recording.
Teleprompters have been used in broadcast television since the Fifties, but have traditionally been very expensive. However, a new range of much cheaper devices have been created to serve the YouTube generation.
Typically, these work along the following lines. You lie your smartphone or tablet down flat, in a tray in front of the glass. Then you use an app, which may be supplied along with your teleprompter or by a third-party app, to display your script on the device's screen. This is reflected in the glass, behind which there's space to place your camera (or another smartphone) to film you.
If it's difficult to visualize how that works in practice, check out this short demo of the Glide Gear TMP 100, number one on our list of the best teleprompters:
In this article we bring you the six best teleprompters on the market today, for a range of purposes and use cases.
These include the best teleprompter for YouTube pros, the best teleprompter for corporate use, and more. If, however, you're entering the TV industry and are looking for a broadcast-standard Autocue teleprompter, jump straight to number six on our list.
The best teleprompters come in a range of prices, from cheap ones for casual use, to very expensive ones for broadcast. The Glide Gear TMP100 sits somewhere in the middle, offering high-end build quality and usability without breaking the bank. For this reason, we’d recommend it as the best teleprompter for semi-pro or pro content creators – and this is the one we personally use at Digital Camera World.
The TMP100 very easy to set up, with no need for tools, and lots of mounting options for fixing it your tripod. There’s plenty of room to install all kinds of cameras, even with long lenses, behind the glass, and the tray in front takes devices up to 10.5 x 9.5 inches – which covers most smartphone or tablets, although it’s not large enough for the iPad Pro.
The screen is nice and large, enabling you to read the text from up to 10 feet away, and the beam splitter glass is high quality. It can be easily set up or packed away, too, and comes with a convenient travel bag that offers good protection for the glass. In short, this offers everything a YouTuber needs to read from an autocue, and while it’s not the cheapest on our list, it offers excellent value.
If your YouTube projects are still at the hobbyist stage, you might be looking to spend a bit less money than the Glide Gear TMP100 (number one on our list), but still want something decent. In which case, we'd recommend the Desview T2 as the best teleprompter for a reasonable price.
Weighing just 340g, this compact creation allows you to shoot with either a DSLR or smartphone, and when it comes to the text, you can use any tablet or smartphone up to 7.5 x 5.3 inches in size. There’s an included remote controller to freely turn the page, pause, speed up or down.
As part of your kit, you get nine professional lens adapter rings (49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77 and 82mm) plus a front and rear cover to protect to the glass. And there’s support for shooting with a wide angle lens above 40mm. For this relatively low price, that’s not bad at all. Note, though, that it's a little fiddly to set up, requiring use of the hexagon wrench and screw included in the package.
Need to travel light, and looking for something that's easy to take on trips? Enter the Padcaster Parrot Teleprompter, which is cheap, simple and refreshingly tiny. Made of lightweight plastic, this ultra-compact teleprompter weighs just 64g, making it perfect for slipping in a bag when you’re on the go.
With one of the included 13 mounting rings, you can mount almost any DSLR, and you also get a glass cleaning kit and a Bluetooth Remote, which allows you to pause, play, and adjust speed remotely. The only downside to that is the buttons are a little clicky, so that may interfere with the audio on your recording.
On the whole though, this is the best teleprompter if portability is your priority; although bear in mind that as a consequence, it does feel a little flimsy, and the glass is relatively small.
Not interested in using a DSLR for your filming, and just want something specifically geared for smartphone shooting? This cheap and compact device allows you to film on your phone while using another phone or tablet to project your script onto the glass, with a reading range of up to 10 feet. It can also work with a camera with a small lens, although we wouldn’t recommend buying it for this in mind, as there’s not a lot of space at the back.
Also note that this teleprompter is well-made, with a metal frame, and it's collapsible, making it great for travel. You also get a carry bag and protective hood for your money.
If you’re creating corporate video, you might be willing to push the boat out and spend a little more. In which case, we’d point you towards the Proaim P-TP300. Designed for meetings, instructional videos, news reporting, seminars, advertisements and other corporate uses, this teleprompter is compatible with DSLRs and small to mid-sized camcorders, such as the Black Magic Pocket 4K.
Despite its large screen, which is readable from up to 15 feet away, it’s lightweight and easy to assemble and transport. The tablet tray is a generous 10.6 x 8.2 inches, making it compatible with any iPad 1-4. And you even get a pair of cotton fabric hand gloves to help protect the glass.
Yes, it's expensive. But overall this teleprompter does the job well, plus it looks impressive enough to leave clients feeling they’re in good hands.
If you’re working in broadcast, then the other teleprompters on this list will be a little amateurish for your needs. The favorite brand for TV professionals is Autocue, who can boast more than 50 years of experience serving global broadcasters’ needs. And this 8-incher, designed for smaller DV cameras, DSLRs and camcorders, is a great starter model for new industry entrants.
This LCD mоnіtоr comes with a fullу-аdјuѕtаblе hооd, рrоmрtеr mount, BNC and VGA inputs, and broadcast quality рrоmрtеr glass, саblеѕ, and tеlерrоmрt software. With a reading range of 3m, a brightness of 250 Nits, an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a contrast ratio of 500:1, this is a great оnе-ѕtор solution fоr fаѕt-расеd, professional video productions.
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